VF Corporation announced today that Jim Gerson will be taking the reins as President of Reef. Gerson has been with VF Corp since 1986, and most recently served as Vice President of RD&D Soft Goods at The North Face.

Here’s the press release:

Carlsbad, CA – May 26th, 2009 – Reef is pleased to announce the appointment of Jim Gerson, currently Vice President of Apparel at The North Face, as President of Reef-Americas. In his new role, Jim will be responsible for developing the product line and brand strategy for the Reef brand worldwide and for the profitability of Reef-Americas beginning June 1st, 2009.

Gerson joined VF in 1986 as part of the Jantzen business and held progressive sales and merchandising roles leading their swimwear division. In 2000, he became Vice President of Swimwear for VF’s Tommy Hilfiger Licensee business. Gerson joined the The North Face as Vice President, Research, Design and Development and Brand Management in April 2001.

As The North Face grew, Jim transitioned to Vice President RD&D Soft Goods in 2005, overseeing all of the apparel business.

“Jim has spearheaded The North Face’s dedication to product innovation and has been a key contributor to the tremendous success of The North Face throughout his tenure with the brand,” said Stephen Murray, President of VF Action Sports Americas. “His successful background in managing key accounts in sales and leading merchandising initiatives brings to Reef a wide range of knowledge and experience from all angles of the business. I am confident that his expertise will prove to be a great asset to Reef.”

Gerson adds, “Reef is a strong brand with a rich heritage and a history for creating outstanding products. I look forward to sharing my product and brand experience to help Reef reach its full potential.”

Gerson holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Idaho, with a Marketing emphasis in Management. He will transition to his new position at Reef effective June 1.

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Stand Up Paddle Surfing to be included in Surfing Australia’s Australian National Titles

UPDATE: It was firstly paddleboards. Then stand up paddleboards (SUP). Now outrigger canoes have been added to the line-up for the annual Honolua Ocean Paddle Race. (check the full story here)

Australian Titles will this year be decided for the first time in the rapidly growing and now well established discipline of Stand Up Paddle (SUP) Surfing.

Surfing Australia announced the inclusion of the Open SUP division into the Country Energy Australian Surf Festival to be run at Port Macquarie during August.

Globally, Stand Up Paddle Surfing has grown in popularity incredibly over the past three years with an abundance of surfers, longboard and shortboard surfers, including a stand up paddleboard in their essential quivers and many dedicating themselves 100% to this discipline.

“The quality of Stand Up Paddle surfers emerging throughout Australia and the world is exciting and there’s many past and present champions of the sport of surfing now very competent and devoted Stand Up Paddle surfers” said Surfing Australia Chief Executive Officer Andrew Stark.

“Take the two finalists at the recent Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach, Joel Parkinson and Adam Robertson, both often seen in the line up riding waves on Stand Up Paddleboards, and then look at past champions like Luke Egan, Tom Carroll and Simon Anderson, all keen riders” added Stark.

“Stand Up Paddle Surfing has established itself in our sport and we are delighted to incorporate it into our Australian Surfmasters this year – the inaugural champion will take a special place in surfing’s history!”

Judging criteria for the Stand Up Paddle surfers have been formulated by the International Surfing Association with an emphasis on use of paddle in performance surfing and radical manoeuvres. The criteria will shortly be available through via www.surfingaustralia.com

Twelve surfers will make up the division this year, three from host state NSW, two from Qld, Vic, SA and WA and one from Tasmania.

The Country Energy Australian Surfing Festival, which incorporates the Oxbow Australian Longboard Titles along with the Australian Surfmasters will run from August 16 through to August 29 as a mobile event through the surf rich region surrounding Port Macquarie.

Surfing NSW will host the event and a full Surfing Australia digital media team will service the event with daily digital images, press releases, live web scores, web highlight vision and selected days national television newsfeeds.

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A champion surfer has caught a break in more ways than one, with the Industrial Relations Commission in Australia finding that going surfing while on sick leave is not a sackable offense.

Shane Bevan, a former world championship tour surfer, was sacked from his baggage handler’s job after his then employer discovered he took part in Queensland’s Coolum Classic surf contest while on sick leave with a bad back, the Australian reported.

The IRC initially upheld his sacking but, on appeal, a commission full bench last week supported Bevan’s claim that the termination was harsh, unjust and unreasonable and ordered the company to pay compensation.

Bevan injured his back while working for Oceania Aviation Services.

Bevan saw an osteopath who issued him with a medical certificate covering the period to Sunday, September 16, 2007. While on leave, his grandfather died and he travelled to Sydney to be with relatives before returning home two days later.

In memory of his grandfather, he decided to compete in the Coolum Classic  of which he was the reigning champion  scheduled for the next day.

The day he surfed was a rostered day off; his back had improved and he revisited his osteopath, who was happy with his progress.

He spoke to his work supervisor to check someone was taking his shift on the Sunday, although this was unnecessary given he had a medical certificate that covered the period to and including the Sunday.

Upon returning to work on the Monday,  Bevan was asked what he had been doing. He referred to his grandfather’s death and the visit to Sydney.

Asked if he had been surfing, he replied that he had been for a “bit of a paddle”. His employment was terminated.

The Australian reported that the commission upheld the sacking, finding  Bevan misled the company about his physical capabilities and did not acknowledge he had been in the surfing contest when first asked.

However, a commission full bench overturned the findings, noting  Bevan participated in the surfing tournament on his regular rostered day off.

“He went surfing in his own private time and not during a time when he was rostered to attend work,” the full bench said.

“It is also important to note that  Bevan, after organising a shift swap on the Sunday, (despite being covered by a medical certificate) attended work on the Monday (his next rostered shift) ready and able to perform the full range of his duties.”

After lengthy evidence about which muscles  Bevan used at work and which he used surfing, the full bench noted the osteopath did not agree that  Bevan had put his injury at risk by surfing.
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The osteopath’s evidence did not support a conclusion that  Bevan was fit to resume work in light of his participation in a surfing competition.

Bevan also did not mislead the company about his fitness to resume normal work, given it involved heavy lifting.

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